Jedi Knights of Earth: Duel of the Fates
by bradw316
Summary: RevisedSequel to Star Wars: Jedi Knights of Earth. As Ranma and Akane adjust to life in the Star Wars universe they will be confronting a shadow from the Jedi's past in the form of a cloned Darth Vader
1. Chapter 1

Jedi Knights of Earth: Duel of the Fates

Chapter 1 (now edited by Xtor49)

Three Super Star Destroyers, the last of the Imperial fleet, floated near some of the core planets. Around them were numerous standard Star Destroyers. Inside the SSD Iron Claw, an admiral sat at the head of a table, speaking to his fellow leaders. "We are at our wit's end. All the Star Destroyers not eliminated by the Rebels have been incorporated into their already massive fleet. We've lost Corellia, Kaut, and several other systems."

Another Admiral sat forward, lacing his fingers together and closing his eyes. "Seems our esteemed Madam Isard has gone and got herself killed at Thyferra. The Jedi order is slowly being reestablished. They have not two, but four, fully trained Jedi Knights, and two Jedi Masters. You are correct, Vice Admiral Taradock, the situation is indeed grim," Admiral Thrawn stated, pursing his lips slightly.

His red eyes were glowing, _I had been going to search for Jorus C'OBath, but now I'm not certain that would help. The Jedi Order being reestablished means that the odds have shifted entirely in the New Republic's favor. As much as I hate to admit it, the Imperial Military had been under the sway of a Sith Lord for far too long. We won't last without one. _ "What kind of DNA profiles do we have for our late Emperor, or Lord Vader?"

Warlord Zsinji blinked, looking up, "I'm not sure what you mean Admiral. We have nothing on file for the Emperor, but we have plenty on file for Lord Vader. The Medical Droids who initially did his operation set some aside for analyzing," Zsinji watched as Thrawn delicately rubbed his chin, eyes half closed in thought.

Thrawn nodded as an idea came to mind, "Have all available DNA information sent to my Star Destroyer; I'm going to Camino to visit the cloners. Once I return, we'll have Darth Vader returned to us."

The group assembled looked both apprehensive and eager as Grand Admiral Thrawn left the room. Soon Captain Pellaeon followed him. "Sir, where are we going? I thought you be discussing strategy with the other leaders."

Thrawn sighed, "They are too pigheaded to discuss strategy. We are heading to Camino, to visit the cloners."

Pellaeon nodded, walking quietly behind. They left the Iron Claw and boarded a transport heading for their ship, the Chimera. Once aboard, Pellaeon quietly walked to the bridge. "Set course for the Camino system."

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Mace Windu stood quietly as the construction droid finished the final window for the Jedi Council chamber. Though much of the archives were destroyed, the back ups deep under the temple had fortunately never been touched. Once the archives had been repaired, the backups had been reinstalled.

Ranma walked in, quietly looking quietly around before walking over to the window and taking a deep breath at the sight. "Been here over a year and still can't get over the enormity of the place," he smiled turning to his former teacher.

Mace nodded, gently sitting down in his council chair, looking around at the empty placements. "Eventually you'll get use to it, Ranma. How's Akane doing?"

Ranma smiled brightly. "Handling the bundle of energy pretty well, little Usagi is a quick study," he said.

Mace nodded. It had been a year and a half since they had returned to the Republic, finding that things had drastically changed. The senate had been reestablished, and a president much like the ones on Earth has been named. At this point, Yoda and Luke were looking for new candidates for Jedi Knights. Luke had gone to meet up with Han to greet a smuggler by the named Talon Karrde. Akane had already met her first trainee shortly after they arrived. She began to train Corran Horn in the Jedi arts since they had so many Jedi traits in common.

Ranma would take up Usagi Saotome's training the moment she turned five. Mace himself was trading off with Yoda, training Leia, as it was the only one not truly involved at the time was Luke and Ranma. So to make up for it, Ranma would give Luke speed training. Yoda hadn't been up to it on Dagobah, they weren't sure, but the swamp planet seemed to drain him.

Shortly after leaving Dagobah, Yoda returned to his normal high energy self. Mace remembered Yoda telling him that his kind could live for 1200 years before dying. "Eager to train your daughter, I see," Mace stated.

Ranma gave a shrug. "Not really. Luke missed out on a lot of his speed training so I'm more than happy to show him the error of his ways," the pigtailed Jedi stated with a light smirk on his face.

Mace simply shook his head, "Is this just a social visit, or is there something else?"

Ranma gave a mock hurt expression, "Now, Master, can't I speak with you without having another reason for being here?"

"You should know by now that your thoughts aren't easy to hide, especially from me, my former Padawan," Mace smiled.

With a dramatic sigh, Ranma pulled up a datapad and cleared his throat, "Seems the entire Imperial Star fleet was found hovering over Dorsk for a few days before Grand Admiral Thrawn left, and we have no idea where the wily old fox went to. The meeting, whatever it was about, was very brief."

Mace nodded, sitting back, musing quietly to himself, "Guess we'll just wait and see."

"I got a bad feeling about this. I sense something very wrong in the Force," Ranma stated, looking out at the traffic in the sky.

"As do I, but be patient; things will be revealed in time," Mace stated closing his eyes, starting to mediate. Ranma quietly left him alone. Walking down the corridor, he spotted Master Yoda and Leia off to the side talking quietly and heatedly. Apparently being a Jedi Padawan and a Senator at the same time was a big no-no for Yoda.

"But Master Yoda, I can't just take off for months at a time to train," Leia stated.

Yoda sighed heavily, "Chose the way of the Jedi, you did. Now must hold the deepest commitment. Send someone to take your place in the Senate, you can," Leia frowned slightly as Ranma walked up.

"What about you do think, Ranma?" Leia asked, eyes pleading with him.

Ranma shook his head, crossing his arms, "Don't look at me. 'Kane and I trained as Jedi together since we were both five. Besides, all this political stuff makes my head hurt." With that, Leia groaned in defeat.

"I guess your right, Master Yoda, I did approach you for training. I'll have Winter take my seat in the Senate," Leia pulled out a comlink and set about making the arrangements, speaking directly to Mon Mothma.

Yoda gave Ranma a victory smile. "Information you have?" he queried, looking at the datapad.

"Yeah, seems Admiral Thrawn is scheming and we all know that ain't good. The creep is just too clever. Almost makes wonder if he ain't got Jedi senses sometimes," Ranma stated with a wry smile.

Yoda shook his head, "Jedi skills he does not have, thankful for that we are. Clever he is in how he works." He looked closely at the report, "DNA profile he asks for, from what I may ask?"

Ranma shook his head, "We don't know. The transmission was cut off before Intelligence could find out. The spy was probably discovered. But what would they need with DNA anyway, Master Yoda? There's only two things I know you can do with it back where I come from; you find families with it, and ya can solve crimes with it."

Yoda nodded, "Indeed. Worries me this does. Join Master Windu in meditation, I will, to figure this out." Yoda stated hobbling toward Leia as she began her lightsaber exercises. Ranma watched for a few moments before leaving, headed for the quarters he shared with his wife. Upon entering them, he saw the protocol droid they bought to look after Usagi when neither he nor Akane were home. The protocol droid was an ancient model but was the cheapest he could find, the serial numbers had rubbed off by time. Usagi giggled upon seeing him. Ranma smiled brightly, picking up his daughter.

"How's my little bunny?" he questioned. The child threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Missed you too," his smile softening.

"**Query: Master Ranma, should I prepare lunch?**" his protocol droid asked.

Ranma nodded, "Yeah, Gero, go ahead."

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Two X-Wings and the Millennium Falcon were flying through hyperspace, heading for a rendezvous with latest leader of the Smuggling Alliance. Hopefully they would get help in the supplies and weapons department, especially in the ways of Bacta stocks so they could continue to treat Krtyos virus patients. Han secretly hoped that two fully trained Jedi Knights and one partially trained Jedi Padawan with skills in Corellian Security methods would give him the edge in negotiations.

Luke doubted things will go his brother-in-law's way. Many he had talked to heard Talon Karrde was a very shrewd and smart business man. Luke settled back in his cockpit, thinking about the last four years since the Battle of Endor. He had seen his father come back from the Dark Side, something Master Yoda had said never happened before. The moment Luke had taken the mask off, looking into the eyes of the man that had fathered him and Leia, he saw not the monster he became.

Questions had popped into his mind at that point, ones he knew Anakin Skywalker would never be able to answer now. After a moment he began to feel a prodding in the Force as they neared the planet they would meet Talon Karrde at. He opened hi comlink, "Akane, do you feel that?"

Akane was sitting behind Han Solo, listening to him and his Wookie companion Chewbacca banter back and forth over what to name Han's children. She smiled softly at the excited banter, until she heard Luke speak up. She closed her eyes and nodded mentally. "Yes, it's small but I feel it too. Could be nothing, but let's all be careful," she stated. But deep down, she had a feeling that what ever was making the tremor in the Force could only go fifty-fifty. Han gave her a look before staring quietly out the viewport grumbling distinctively.

"Great, just what we don't need; trouble," Han said with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He heard his long time friend bark about something, "That don't make me feel any better, Chewie."

Author's Note: I'm taking this down the completely Alternate Universe route, Yoda hasn't died and I even explained why. Vader will make a grand appearance later. Mara will make her own appearance next chapter. Also, many are wanting Ranma to go bad. Not going to happen:P.


	2. Chapter 2

Jedi Knights of Earth: Duel of the Fates

Chapter 2 (now edited by Xtor49)

Talon Karrde looked up from his data listings inside his office. He saw Mara Jade hovering over a shipment of blaster cartridges. He frowned slightly. The young woman had been quiet and aloof, yet he sensed so much potential in her. She was good at finding information, and even better at intimidation, but he knew better than to question her past. Right now though, it seemed she had a driving force behind what she was doing, and he wasn't about to stand in her way.

Ghent walked into the office and cleared his throat, looking decidedly nervous, "Talon, we got three ships on an approach vector, two snubfighters and one Corellian freighter."

Talon replied casually, "That would be our guests. Have them enter dock six, and bring them up to the meeting room." Standing up, Talon nodded to Mara, who quietly followed him out as they headed towards their meeting with Han Solo and company.

Mara face was twisted in contempt as they walked along the corridor to a room. It housed a huge table with twelve chairs surrounding it. Talon quietly walked to the one end of the table and sat down to wait for their guests. Mara took up a position behind him. If Talon had noticed she was breathing harder than normal, he didn't voice his concern. Mara frowned deeply at what she was sensing through her fledging Force abilities; she could sense two fully trained Jedi Knights and one much like herself approaching.

As much as Talon prided himself in obtaining information, he was unable to confirm the rumors that another Jedi had come out of hiding with Luke Skywalker. Apparently, the rumors were true; Skywalker wasn't the only Jedi Knight left in the galaxy, and it looked like they brought a friend.

Luke and Corran both climbed out of their X-Wings to join up with Han, Chewie, and Akane as they stepped off. Akane had just finished slipping on her robe when she felt a gentle probing. "Luke, the disturbance is here," she quietly informed him, right as a younger man approached the group.

Ghent smiled easily, but the two Jedi present could tell the man was nervous, "Will you all follow me? Talon Karrde is waiting for you."

The group followed Ghent quietly the spacestation they were walking through had seen better days, with electronic cables spewing everywhere, coolant smearing the walls, and a few broken down droids littering the hallways. "Let me guess, this is a fixer-upper?" Han asked dryly.

Ghent chuckled, glad the ice was broken, "Yeah, you could say that. We plan to have the entire station fixed up in a couple of months; just need the credits to do it."

Corran sighed. _I haven't seen Talon Karrde since the Bacta War. Mirax and her father did the negotiating back then. My father-in-law may not have many talents, but negotiation certainly is one of them. Unfortunately, Han doesn't seem the type._

He glanced over at his teacher and felt oddly chagrined; he never believed what Wedge said about calling him and the other Rogue Squadron pilots "kids", especially considering some of them were older than Wedge. That was, until now. Being the Padawan learner to a girl that barely is out of her teens really put those things into perspective, yet in their last sparring session she beat the pants off him. His ego was damaged, sure, but after that day he took his Master's lessons to heart.

The group entered the meeting room; Han smiled brightly at Karrde as he walked over and shook the smuggler's hand. "How's things working for you, Karrde? You helped us out immensely during that thing on Thyferra."

Karrde smiled lightly. "Did what we could to help out, just remember my organization could of easily have helped out Iceheart," he said with a shrug. Looking over at the other four member's of Han's party. "Let's see I recognize Chewbacca, Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, and Lieutenant Corran Horn, but who's the lovely young lady?"

Han pursed his lips, glancing at Akane, "Jedi Knight Akane Saotome." This gave Talon Karrde a little pause. He couldn't see her lightsaber, because the woman's dark brown robe was wrapped around her, covering her clothing from view. "She, her husband, and a Jedi Master previously thought dead showed up about a year and a half ago."

From her placement behind Talon Karrde, Mara Jade's face had gone through a variety of changes during the brief conversation. From anger and contempt at seeing Luke Skywalker, to confusion and surprise at seeing Akane Saotome. She saw Luke and Akane watch her out the corner of their eyes, but outside of that they gave no outward indication that they noticed her Force sensitivity. So she went back to glaring at Luke, hearing the words the Emperor, _You Will Kill Luke Skywalker!_

She gritted her teeth at the sudden appearance of the voice. She heard it once before, but now it was fairly potent, what with the object of the message standing quietly behind Han Solo. She would confront him when she got the time, and kill him after she cleared some things up with him.

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Ranma woke with a start, lingering images of a strange yet beautiful planet fading from his mind. He never dreamed much anymore. Unless his wife was close, then he would simply dream of her. He sighed softly at those thoughts of his wife. Since arriving with Mace Windu to his section of the universe, both he and Akane had very little time to themselves. The only time they had together was during the nine months Akane had been pregnant. With a light grunt Ranma got up from his bed. Walking into the living room, he spotted Gero cleaning the kitchen for about the sixteenth time.

He walked into the baby room and over to the crib, looking down at his daughter. She had blue-black hair like her mother, and great big blue expressive eyes. Her eyes had a catlike quality to them, as did her slightly pointed ears. _Must be a side-effect of me mastering the Nekoken,_ Ranma surmised. _She's going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up, _he smiled, rubbing the top of her head.

He loved his little girl, and was fiercely protective of both her and her mother. Master Yoda had warned him, "Dangerous, it is, growing attachments."

Not many things annoyed Ranma, but that certainly did. Anakin had to hide the fact he was married, though many never found out who was his wife. And when Anakin feared losing her, he had no one to help alleviate his fears. If Anakin had gone to the Jedi Council with his dreams, he probably would have been thrown out of the Jedi order. These were the points he brought up with Yoda, and the ancient Jedi Master grudgingly admitted it may have been what led Anakin to the Dark Side.

Ranma knew the risks involved when he and Akane had grown older, but neither of them cared; he loved her, and she loved him. With another sigh, Ranma gently leaned down and kissed his daughter's forehead. He walked back out of the room and looked to Gero, "I'll be going to the Jedi Temple. If things turn out like I feel it will, I'll be gone longer than usual."

Gero nodded, "**Statement: I'll keep Usagi safe, Master Ranma.**"

Ranma gave a quiet nod before dressing in a red Jedi tunic, red leather outer vest, black Jedi pants, black boots, and his dark brown Jedi robe. On the way out, he clipped his lightsaber to his belt. Once outside, he walked along the hallways until he came to the parking area. It was amazing how life had changed for him and Akane once they arrived on Coruscant. They had their own home, and their own droids. Besides Gero, they had an astromech that Ranma kept at one of the hangers near the Jedi Temple, right along with the A-Wing that was given to him by the New Republic.

He preferred the A-Wing over an X-Wing because of the speed and the faster rate of fire. He was also beginning to heavily modify his ship to include proton torpedoes, which weren't in the original plan. His astromech, R10-L4, or Arten, was currently overseeing the final steps in the construction. He stepped into the seat of his airspeeder and flew off toward the Jedi Temple.

Upon entering the Temple, Ranma started to walk along the empty corridors. He felt the ghosts of what went before as he moved past the sleeping quarters that once housed younglings. He felt the hidden pain of Jedi Padawans, Healers, and younglings, being slaughtered by Darth Vader and Clone Troopers. The temple was essentially a tomb at the present. With only five Jedi Knights capable of teaching students, it would be a long time before the Temple would be filled to capacity with Jedi Knights again.

In the meantime, the Temple would have to settle for the painful echoes from the past, until the present and future could combine. Ranma continued walking along the corridors until he came to training areas, where he saw Leia Organa Solo doing her best to block stinger bolts from the remote hovering above her. He smiled faintly at his memory of that time, still remembered the indignant embarrassment at being shot by the remote, and hearing Akane's giggles. Turnabout had been fair play when it had been her turn and she suffered the same treatment. He spotted Mace and Yoda standing off to the side, giving light instructions when Leia needed it; otherwise, they kept to themselves talking quietly.

Mace and Yoda looked up as Ranma walked over to them. "Morning, Ranma," Mace stated with a light smile as he and Yoda watched as Leia deflected a series of stun bolts. They could have sworn a few were being directed in their direction.

Ranma smiled, standing next to the elder two, "Morning." With the pleasantries over, his face melted into a serious mask. "Master, I had a vision last night, and it was a strange one."

Yoda frowned, looking up, "Tell us you must, what you did see?"

Ranma's brow furrowed, "A beautiful landscape, outside a city that reminded me of something I saw on Earth, like out of the Renaissance Era. It was strange." Yoda and Mace exchanged a knowing glance. "What, you know the planet I described?"

Yoda gave a weak nod, looking to Leia, who had stopped her exercise to listen in on the conversation. "Naboo, it is. Strange, that you would have vision of it."

Ranma thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I went to bed, asking the Force to help me discover a clue to Grand Admiral Thrawn's whereabouts," Yoda nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose, concentrating. "You think this Naboo might have some relevance in finding Thrawn, Master Yoda?"

"Difficult to say. Go we must, to discover the truth behind your vision. Master Windu, stay, I ask. Wait for Intelligence to discover Thrawn's tactics," Yoda stated looking to Ranma. "Go with you, Leia and I will."

Ranma gave a nod. The trio bowed to Mace before leaving the Temple. Ranma looked down at the ancient Jedi Master, _What could be worrying him?_ _Something about Naboo seems to cause Master Yoda a deep, echoing pain._ He remembered the look Mace and Yoda had exchanged the moment he mentioned Naboo. Whatever was going on it meant something about the past that the two Masters shared, something Ranma couldn't begin to understand. The fact Yoda looked at Leia the moment he mentioned Naboo, meant it had something to do with her, and maybe Luke. _I wonder what it could be?_

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Karrde and Han dickered over prices for the munitions and Bacta lots, while Luke was growing increasingly more uneasy at the beautiful redheaded, green-eyed woman giving him a death glare. He had a feeling it was linked to something he did, he hadn't been as complete in his training as Yoda had said. He had the basics down, but Yoda hadn't put him through the paces in terms of how to avoid the Dark Side. So Yoda started teaching the reasons Jedi went bad. Attachment had become a mute point, since his sister had married, as well as Ranma and Akane.

So Mace and Yoda had gone into the archives, to research the reasons behind why the code had been changed. The old code worked much like the code Yoda and Mace had preached before the Clone Wars, only Jedi Knights were allowed to fall in love and marry. The reason for the change was never found. Luke suspected a Jedi that turned to the Dark Side probably had coerced the Jedi Council at the time to change the codes. It must have been what allowed the Jedi to slowly grow stagnant and weak enough to be taken out.

He had mentioned this to Yoda, and was surprised at how accepting the Jedi Master had been at his explanation. Luke shook his head out of his musing, feeling he gotten off topic involving why this Mara Jade was looking at him like he was Rancor meat that had been grilled and ready to serve. He closed his eyes, asking the Force about what to do. No sooner had he asked, he was shown faint images of the Emperor.

He opened his eyes in a flash, looking at the young woman across from him. He understood who she was, or rather, who she had been. He also heard something cold and familiar in the brief connection before her defenses went back up. _You Will Kill Luke Skywalker!_

Mara cursed mentally at feeling a small sliver of her Force barriers give way, and what irritated her most was that it had been Skywalker that beat her defenses. As Karrde stood up, having finally reached a deal with Solo, they got up and moved out of the meeting area. _No doubt to the cargo hold to inspect the things Solo will be buying for the New Republic._

Akane watched the staring contest quietly, knowing something was going on. She even felt shock from both parties as Luke asked the Force for help and got it for a brief moment, enough to get the information he sought. She vaguely listened as her Padawan helped Han with his deal. _I wish Ranma was here. He's always been better at mental abilities than me. _

After Han and Karrde finished their deal, she walked out quietly with "the two scoundrels", as Leia would call them. Corran also followed them, asking questions about his father-in-law that he hoped Karrde would provide him. She had noticed Luke and Mara made no move to follow, perfectly content in their staring contest. Mara's cold gaze fixed on Luke's chagrined one. She wanted to help, but knew it wasn't her place or right to get involved in Luke's impending battle. _I just hope he doesn't get hurt. I don't want to have to tell Leia that some redhead with green eyes under Talon Karrde's employ killed her brother._

As Karrde led Han and the others out, Luke waited silently for either a blaster bolt or a lightsaber to appear. Neither showed as Mara eyes sparked in raw rage. "What have I done, to cause such rage in you?"

Mara eyes narrowed dangerously, "You know exactly what you've done! You took my life away, everything that had meaning is gone!"

The images in Luke's head returned briefly, and he sighed sadly, "Were you with the Empire?"

"I was the Emperor's Hand, his personal assassin. I did jobs he felt Vader would draw to much attention to. What's worse, you were the first target I failed to kill."

Luke blinked a second before images of a vision he had a few months ago came to the surface. He was back being walked along a plank, looking up, giving his salute that signaled Artoo to launch his lightsaber. After he did his leap backward, he twisted into the air and landed in the middle of the skiff. He reached up to call his lightsaber to him, only this time the lightsaber veered off into the waiting hands of figure hooded that had red hair billowing in the hot wind. "You were at Jabba's Palace when I rescued Han and the others."

Mara smiled, the contempt still running along her face, "Congratulations, Skywalker. Yeah, I was there, but Jabba refused to let me go with him when he took you and your friends to the Sarlacc pit. If he had, you wouldn't have rescued anybody."

Luke kept the frown from his face, and was thankful the Force was with him in odds that day. "What happened to you after that?"

"I was sent back to Coruscant for my failure. I was on my way back when I felt the Emperor die," she glared at Luke with the contempt increasing. "You killed him, didn't you."

Luke looked at her and shook his head, "I was on the floor writhing in pain from the Force Lightning your Emperor was sending into my body."

Mara though the she kept it from her face she was shocked. She used her fledging Force powers to sense if he was lying, and found that he wasn't. She looked at him in utter confusion then, wondering how he could possibly be telling the truth. "Then how did the Emperor die?"

Luke looked her dead in the eye a mixture of compassion, regret, and a little bit of pride in his eyes. "Anakin Skywalker appeared and killed him, at least that's my point of view."

"How is that possible? Your father was killed shortly before the Clone Wars ended, I've seen the records myself," Mara snapped, knowing that Anakin Skywalker had been Luke's father.

Luke nodded, "I know, and I know exactly the moment he died, thanks to Master Windu," he said softly. "He died in High Chancellor Palpatine's office, after he cut off Master Windu's hand and Palpatine knocked Master Windu out the window using his Force Lightning."

Mara blinked leaning against the back wall heavily. The Emperor had bragged plenty of times about the moment he sent Jedi Master Windu flying, right after Darth Vader had cut off the Jedi's hand. "Are you saying Vader, and Anakin Skywalker, were the same?"

Luke shook his head, "Darth Vader killed my father that day when he accepted the Dark Side. My father reappeared on the Death Star II long enough to exact justice upon the men that killed him."

Mara winced at the scream in her mind, _YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!_ She shook her head. _He hasn't done anything, why should I kill him for something he didn't do?_ she asked the voice. All that happened was the same voice, _YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!_ She looked up at Luke now. Her mind was confused, but she was no longer holding the blind rage she held before.

She could sense the truth in his words. She had murdered in cold blood before, but usually it had been for the good of the Empire and the defense of her Emperor, only this wasn't either. The Empire was dead, and the man responsible for the Emperor's death died with him. She watched Skywalker stand quietly, his gaze passive. "Thank you for the truth, Skywalker," she chuckled bitterly. "Now I'm stuck at a crossroad."

Luke blinked, thinking about something and sent a message through the Force. he wondered what kind of encounter he would have had with her, if Master Yoda hadn't lived long enough to leave Dagobah. He was sure it would be a lot more tedious, and probably far more dangerous for him. He looked up at Mara, "I might know a way to help you."

Mara glared at him, "What is this, going to be a 'join the Jedi Knights' speech?"

Luke shook his head and smiled slightly, "No, but the thought had crossed my mind." This earned a scowl from the green-eyed woman. "I was thinking about this thing I keep sensing from you, it's something the Emperor is telling you?"

Mara nodded thoughtfully, hearing the voice demand Luke's life again. "Probably a last command, something he burned into my mind through the Force. It's a command to kill you. It's getting pretty loud. Maybe you should leave, and it'll go away."

Akane had sensed Luke calling her. Entering the meeting room, she could feel Luke forming a plan in his head. It was an incredibly foolish plan, but it required her and her Jedi healing abilities to be present.

Mara blinked, watching as the Jedi Knight Han introduced came back. The other woman looked apprehensive about something. _What is going on?_ Luke strode toward her and she didn't feel an urge to go for the blaster she had. A second later, he was standing a few feet across from her.

"Are you sure about this, Luke?" Akane asked her face lined with worry.

Luke simply gripped Mara's hand, who tried to wrench it away, until he put his lightsaber in her palm. She looked down at the lightsaber, then at Luke, then back at the lightsaber. Luke gave her a small smile, "I'm going to release you from Palpatine's torture; you'll be free."

Mara looked up at him in horror. "You can't mean that, you didn't do anything to deserve it," she said, her heart pounding with the same rhythm as the Emperor's command. "I can live with it; you don't have to do this."

Luke shook his head for a moment, looking into her eyes and holding them. Green-eyes that were trying to stop him from being foolish, not knowing the reason for it. She had been waiting for the past five years for this moment. Now that it was here, she not only couldn't bring herself to do it, but something in her begged her not to. "I want you to kill me, Mara Jade."

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Grand Admiral Thrawn departed his shuttle craft, flanked by three stormtroopers and Captain Pellaeon. They quickly marched toward the huge dome shaped building in front of them to get out the stormy rain and winds. Thrawn entered the all white hallway, and was greeted by a tall graceful looking Camino native. "Welcome to Camino, how may I help you?"

Pellaeon handed Thrawn a twenty-five year old datapad. "I would like a single clone made from the genetic profile found in this data. Is it still possible?" Thrawn asked in his usual cool voice.

The Camino native scanned the datapad. If she was excited or disappointed she gave no outward signs of it, which impressed the admiral greatly. "Would you like the clone to be exactly like the original, or would you want it more docile?" Thrawn pulled another datapad, this one showed schematic of a mask, helmet, breathing apparatus, mechanical arms and legs, and even a schematic of a lightsaber. "I want it exactly like the original, minus the burns. And don't wake him until you've placed him in the suit. I will tell him everything he needs to know the moment he awakes," Thrawn paused a moment. "Tell me, will he retain all his memories?"

The Camino nodded her head, "Yes, but only up to the point the genetics was obtained." The Camino walked away to begin the operations.

Pellaeon looked to his commanding officer with some apprehension, "You realize those skin samples were taken shortly before he was put in that suit? How will he react to the fact that twenty years have passed?"

"Simple. I will tell him the truth of his origins. You forget, Darth Vader fought for the Empire because he believed it was right. It's what Emperor Palpatine used to lure him to the Dark Side, and it's what we'll use."

"But sir, even though he'll know he's a clone, he'll still have Lord Vader's memories. If he confronts his son and daughter, especially without the Emperor to hold him, he may turn on us," Pellaeon said in worry.

Thrawn nodded, "A strong possibility, but you forget the Skywalker line is very stubborn. And I have a strategy that will keep the Skywalker siblings from swaying him."

Pellaeon sighed in part-relief, _I should've guessed he had something. The man has a knack for being two steps ahead of everyone in the Imperial Fleet, and at least five steps ahead of the New Republic. Whatever he has planned for Lord Vader's clone, it won't be good for the New Republic._

Author's Note: I'm going for a more traditional break off from the original SW universe, and totally rewriting it suit the needs of the public in general. I'm also encouraging those who like the story to help and add their own storylines after this one is done, kind of like the novelists who saw what Kathy Tyers did by writing _Truce at Bakura_. She was the first to expand the Star Wars Universe. Vader will be cloned, and will survive the encounter I have planned for him.

As for Luke and Mara, I've read the novels and love how Vision of the Future turned out. I going with the impression that if Yoda had lived and Luke had someone to confide in often enough, he wouldn't have as many doubts about himself after Return of the Jedi. And I know Yoda would have prevented him from dabbling in the Dark Side like he did in Dark Empire. Luke and Mara are going to bond a little faster in my story then they did in the novels. According to the timeline it takes them ten years to come to grips they loved each other; that ain't acceptable.

So I'm putting my own spin on things. And for those who are hoping for a Dark Ranma, Akane, or Luke, I'm ashamed of you. As for Usagi her full name is Usagi Nodoka Saotome, named after Ranma's cousin and mother. I thought it a nice tie in, and will give some fan fiction fuel for other writers who decide to take me up on expanding the Jedi Knights of Earth story.

Gero is an HK droid but not HK-47 or the HK-50's it's full disignation is HK-OR, I'm looking for anyone who'd want to make a small side story on how Ranma found it, doesn't have to be long. The 'YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER' mantra comes from the The Last Command Star Wars novel for those readers that haven't read the novels, Timothy Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole are probably the best of the bunch in terms of Star Wars novels, highly recommended reading.


	3. Chapter 3

Jedi Knights of Earth

Chapter 3 (Now edited by Xtor49)

_Two figures clash in a darkened room, two blades slicing through the air, one green and the other red. The figures were blurred, but there was something very distinctive about one; a rhythmic sound was heard coming from the one with the red blade. When the shadows fell away, the figure with the red blade is revealed. He's dressed all in black, a gargoyle like mask over his face, and a helmet. The other figure was staring down at his opponent, gasping lightly for air. His dark blue eyes tight, as he raises his green blade again and readies himself. Ranma looked on, waiting for his opponent to make the next move._

Gasping out, Ranma slumps forward, his bare arms covered in sweat. He had stripped his tunic and vest so he could meditate. Placing his hands on his knees, he begins to clear his mind of the images he saw.

Yoda enters the room, sensing Ranma's anxiety, "Another vision you saw?"

Ranma nodded, "Been getting them a lot lately, as if the Force is in constant flux. This vision was even weirder than the last."

"Describe?" Yoda asked, simply hopping up on a near by chair. The ship they were using was Mirax Horn's _Pulsar Skate_, with the woman accompanying them. Right now Ranma and Yoda were in the cargo hold.

Looking up at the ancient Jedi Master, Ranma took a deep cleansing breath. Something about the little elf stirred much the same things he thought of Master Windu, only instead of father figure, he felt Yoda was more of a grandfather. "I was in a lightsaber duel with a Dark Lord of the Sith, but wasn't just any Sith Lord," he paused, looking puzzled. "It was Darth Vader."

Yoda's eyes widen greatly, "Not possible this is. Died on Death Star II, he did. Sure are you?"

Ranma nodded, "Very sure, Master, I've seen the holo-tapes on Vader. I know what I saw."

Looking grim, Yoda cupped his chin, rubbing it slightly. "Coming up on Naboo," Mirax stated over the PA system.

"Disturbing this is. Keep it a secret, you can, Ranma. Great danger, I sense ahead," Yoda stated as Ranma slipped on the rest of his clothes. He stood up to follow the ancient Jedi Master. Once they reached the cockpit, they sat down behind Mirax, Leia, and Mirax's Sullust co-pilot. Propped up against the wall were Threepio and Arten.

They were already out of hyperspace and rapidly approaching the planet of Naboo. Yoda looked on quietly. Ranma could sense the ancient Jedi Master was gripped in sadness and pain. "Master, have you been here before?" he asked.

"Long time ago, yes. Attended Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jin's funeral, I did. Made also a grave mistake, allowed Anakin Skywalker to be trained. Wonder often, if Qui-Gon lived, the boy's fate changed, it might have," Yoda's ears drooped sadness. "Changed another's fate, it may."

Ranma glanced at Leia for a moment, "Does it have something to do with Luke and Leia, Master?" he asked. The ancient Jedi ears stood up in surprise. "I saw the way you and Master Windu reacted back on Coruscant. Someone who lived here is linked to them in someway."

Yoda nodded, "Birthplace, it is, of their mother."

Leia's eyes widened, turning back as the ship began it's descent into the atmosphere. "But I thought my mother died on Alderaan when I was three?"

Yoda shook his head, "Died in childbirth, she did. Watched her, Obi-Wan and I. Die of a broken heart."

Mirax frowned softly, "Sounds like she died because of what her husband turned into."

Yoda nodded, turning his head toward Leia, who was currently looking out a viewport as they neared Naboo's capital. It looked much like it did during the time of the Clone Wars. The capital may have grown more, but it felt a little less splendid. Probably due to the fact that Naboo had spawned Darth Sidious, and worse yet, helped rise him to power. Yoda could still sense the shame behind the beautiful look of the capital. The _Pulsar Skate_ landed softly in one of the docking areas, and the passengers disembarked. As they descended the plank, three Naboo officials walked up.

"Welcome to Naboo, I'm Captain Ross," the man greeted. He looked down at the ancient Jedi Master. "What is your business here?"

Leia quietly stepped forward, looking into the eyes of the Captain, "I'm here to see my mother's grave."

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Thrawn lips pursed, looking at the cloning tube. Inside was a teenage boy, no older than thirteen, mentally reliving the life he led as Jedi Padawan. Thrawn was struck at how innocent the boy looked, he could scarcely believe the boy would turn into one of the most deadliest Dark Lords of the Sith the galaxy had ever knew. While Thrawn was the better than average tactician, he doubted he could go toe to toe with Vader. At least, not without blindsiding the Sith Lord first.

It would be another day before Vader would be out of the tube. At least another twelve hours to remove Vader's arms and legs, attach new mechanical limbs, and dress him in the armor that made Vader so fearsome. But Thrawn had always had infinite patience when it came to matters such as these. The Imperial Fleet had broken up once again, and unfortunately Warlord Zsinji was being chased down right now by Wedge Antilles latest elite fighter squadron.

By the time Vader and Thrawn returned to the coreworlds, Zsinji would be beaten, and another Super Star Destroyer would be in the hands of the New Republic. Combine that with Lusenkya, various Victory-class Star Destroyers, and the Interdictor cruisers captured since the fall of Coruscant, Thrawn felt he was in serious jeopardy. He thought of collecting Jorus C'OBath to aide him in his campaign, but felt the troops would be skeptical of the eccentric Dark Jedi; they needed someone with more presence, and needed someone they could fear. The Imperial Fleet needed Darth Vader.

Captain Pellaeon appeared on his left, looking up at the boy in the tube for a moment. "Sir, long range scans picked up the _Pulsar Skate_ entering Naboo. According to our spies, four people left the ship; Leia Organa Solo, Mirax Horn," he looked nervously at the next name, "Jedi Master Yoda, and an unknown Jedi Knight."

Thrawn frowned heavily. He had heard rumors of two Jedi Knights and a Jedi Master being found, but he chose to believe it was just a rumor. The same couldn't be said about Yoda. If anyone could discover what plans he had, it would be that Jedi Master. "How good is the other Jedi?"

Pellaeon frowned, "Not much to say. Our spies in Coruscant haven't seen much of them. The only times they've seen them were during the Jedi Temple reconstruction. Not much else is known."

Though he didn't show it, Thrawn was deeply annoyed, _These new Jedi are far too good at hiding anything about themselves for my tastes. _ If Thrawn had ever met Ranma and Akane during their years of training, he would have known why they got good at avoiding subtle chances of getting information from them. Even though the Tendo girls still had both their parents, it didn't stop Nabiki from doing what she loved to do; namely, to gather information, blackmail, and extort. Because of Nabiki, Ranma and Akane had become extremely good at covering their tracks and keeping to themselves.

"Have the spies keep a low profile and continue to watch them. Try to get something from this mystery Jedi," Thrawn said calmly.

Pellaeon saluted and walked off, leaving Thrawn to stare back up at Anakin Skywalker. "Strange be the times that we are in," Thrawn smiled softly. _It is seldom that my network of spies fails to gather information on someone. These Jedi Knights have piqued my interest._

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Captain Ross looked at Leia, confused, "Who was your mother?"

"Padme Amadala Skywalker," Yoda said with a sigh, hobbling toward the front entrance. The rest followed along as they left the hanger area. Ranma walked in the back, stretching out with the Force. He felt its pull toward a side corridor; looking down, Ranma could swear he saw an apparition of a Jedi Knight with a green lightsaber battling a dark horned figure with a dual lightsaber. He stood quietly, watching the image as it slowly faded. "See the battle between Qui-Gon and Darth Maul, do you?"

Ranma looked down at Yoda and nodded. "Yes, I'm surprised I can see images of the past like this Master," he paused. "I also saw what Darth Vader did in the Jedi Temple. Master, I wonder, is this a gift from the Force?"

Yoda looked puzzled, "Strange, this is. A peculiar talent, you have, to see both past and future. Few Jedi Knights with such talent, there have been."

With a heavy sigh, the pigtailed Jedi Knight he quickly changed his focus to what he was seeing. "It could be very distracting sometimes, but it's usually only in places where the Dark Side and Light Side have clashed, so it may be a link to the Nekoken."

Yoda nodded. Mace had explained the years he trained Ranma and Akane, the two year war on the planet, and the battle against Darth Ravenous. Gaining the mastery of a technique that was based on an element of the Dark Side was nothing short of miraculous. "So certain, are you?"

Ranma nodded, "Its possible Neko-Ranma is still there, but he aides me and I aide him. I'm a symbiotic lifeform with him." He smiled softly as the two continued walking, and listened to Captain Ross talk about the things that have happen since Emperor rose to power. "What of these Gungan beings, what has happen to them?"

Ross smiled sadly, "Darth Vader arrived about fifteen years ago, tracked down every last Gungan, and slaughtered them. He warned the rest of us that if we got involved, we would be next. So we stayed out of it, afraid to help. Another sin we'll be held accountable for. In a way, I'd wish that Naboo had been destroyed by the Death Star instead of Alderaan. Our planet just as beautiful as Alderaan, but for some reason we hold so many dark sins. The only reason were not punished is because those that knew of Darth Sidious and his homeworld have long forgotten it or are dead. So we ask for no aide, we would prefer it if we were erased from the galaxy archives."

Leia frowned, "You can't hold your planet accountable for the evils of one man. What about my mother?"

Ross smiled broadened, "Senator Amadala was probably the only bright point in our entire existence. She tried hard to prevent the Clone Wars, fought against the creation of the Clone army, only to be plotted against and nearly killed. She was forced to return to Naboo to go into hiding, and brought your father with her as her protector, so I was told. About a month after they arrived, they left, heading to Tattoonie."

Yoda nodded, "To find Anakin's mother, they did."

"Yeah, shortly after the first battle on Genenosis, they got married in a small ceremony," Ross stated as they finished their walk into a large cathedral. It had two aisles lined with pews. They walked up to the speaking area to the right to another door, which Ross opened. Inside it was a lone glass case, about six feet in length, containing a beautiful young woman dressed in blue robes. Her face was kind and soft. Leia quietly walked up to the glass case, reading the name emblazoned in gold on the side of the case.

"Padme Amadala Skywalker," Leia whispered. Finally meeting her mother, face to face. She smiled sadly. Bail Organa and his wife had given her a loving home and warm family, but she always felt like an outsider. The woman lying in the glass coffin before her was the reason. She leaned her head on the coffin and tears began to pour from her eyes.

Tears she never had to grieve for her adoptive father when the Death Star blew Alderaan to a thousand pieces. Tears of sadness for a woman, whose heart was broken by a man who let his petty fears cloud his judgment and let the galaxy crumble. Mostly, it was tears of grief for a daughter who never knew her mother. Ranma stepped up next to her and hugged her shoulders; Leia gently leaned into him, knowing Ranma had faced this same thing when he was five.

While Ranma was consoling his friend, he stretched out with the Force to find the reason it had prodded him here to Naboo. He could sense it close and closed his eyes, letting his mind focus on the feeling he was getting. A second later he snagged it. He lifted his hand and something flew into it. He looked down at the object in his palm, and his eyes widened.

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Mara's horrific feeling increased, as did the mantra of the Emperor's voice. _You Will Luke Skywalker!_ Now more than ever, she didn't want to. Something deep down in her mind was balking at the entire idea. It wasn't fear she was sensing, it wasn't even anger anymore; something deep told her if she struck down the man in front of her, she would regret it.

_Why? I've killed many before, and never felt regret. I did it in service to the Empire. My innocence died along with my first kill. _But this was different. Faint images started appearing through her mind like echoes, of a lightsaber flashing in a dark room, one blue and one green. She could feel herself not in battle with this green blade, but helping it defend against blaster fire. As she did so, she felt more images enter her mind, but they were too far out of reach.

"No," she whispered trying to clear her head. As the mantra continued and the faint images swirled around getting stronger, she was unable to keep her focus. Because of these distractions, even though her eyes were open, she didn't see Luke step closer. He placed her thumb over the lightsaber activation switch, and made her press it.

Akane could feel Mara struggling with something inside her. The Force was reacting quickly, sending her images of what she could tell were from a different reality. She could see faintly the life Luke would have had without Yoda, a life of constant struggle with the Force, of being solely burdened with returning the Jedi Order back to it's former glory. It wasn't a pretty sight. She winced as she saw the green white blade of his lightsaber burn through his chest and out his back. She looked up into the other woman's eyes, the green orbs shimmering with overwhelming loss.

Mara continued to struggle with the images. As they became clearer in her mind, she saw Luke Skywalker in both this reality and another. She also saw herself in both realities. She saw a fiercely independent woman restarting her life, as Mara had already done, meeting with Skywalker for the first time. But in the images she saw was a very different outcome, as they entered an uneasy truce to defeat a dark Jedi clone of Skywalker and a crazy Sith Lord. The images cascaded over her body.

As each event played out, she experienced the feelings and emotions of her alternate reality counterpart as they played out. The images inside the cave started replaying, this time with more clarity. Her alternate reality counterpart stood back to back with Luke Skywalker, embracing the Force as they both fought for survival. They started becoming one with the Force, and each other. Mara knew instantly the Force was showing her the reason why she was hesitating, why the sense of regret was so potent, and found that it wasn't regret at all. It was impending sense of grief she would be feeling, at having to kill her soulmate.

The images suddenly stopped, and she felt something warm gently fall on her shoulder. She saw the green blade sticking out of Luke's back and the voice of Emperor Palpatine was gone. The cold churning in her stomach snapped her out of the daze, and all the last images that played through her mind the bonding experience she had felt with him had been completed. "NOOO!" she cried, thumbing off the lightsaber and gripped him tightly. Two gentle, yet strong arms, touch her shoulders.

"I can revive him if you let go," Akane told her. Mara looked up, tears streaking her face. She nodded as both she and Akane carefully lowered Luke to the ground. Akane quickly placed her hand over Luke's heart and closed her eyes. A few moments passed. Luke's body began to glow, and the burn mark around Luke's injury vanished. A few seconds after that, Luke's chest behind to rise and fall. Mara watched as Luke's eyes fluttered open, looking up at Akane.

He smiled slightly and winced at the cold look Akane was giving him, "I know what your going to say. 'Stupid and foolish'." He then felt a stinging slap right across the face. He cried out in pain, looking over at the young green-eyed woman kneeling down next to him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He could see concern and worry in those eyes as well as anger.

"If you ever do that again, so help me..." Mara snapped. Grabbing his tunic in her hands, she pulled him up so his lips met hers, kissing him with every ounce of passion she could muster.

During this moment, Han, Corran, and Karrde rushed in, concerned. Corran had sensed Luke's death and alerted them. "What are they doing?" Han asked, looking utterly confused; he hadn't missed the looks of animosity the redhead had been showing toward his brother-in-law, and now the woman was kissing him like they were lovers that had been separated for years.

Akane shrugged, "It's a Jedi bonding thing, you wouldn't understand." Han sighed and left the room. Talon Karrde went with him, _Does this mean I'll be losing my associate?_ Akane stood up and followed the rest out, leaving the two on the floor to come to grips with what they felt. She silently felt a probing in the Force, she sent an okay image back. Her husband, Leia, Master Yoda, and Master Windu had also sensed Luke's death.  
She smiled slightly, feeling her husband return again, tickling the edges of mind. _I love you, my wonderful baka_. She walked out onto the docking area where Artoo and Whistler were busy working. She sat down on a crate, closing her eyes and relaxing. It was then that she felt something dark and cold probing around, but it was gone before she could find out what sent it._ What was that?_

Author's Note: This apparently is getting better reviews than its predecessor, and Vader will make his appearance in the next chapter. I do need a small suggestion to break the writer's block, it's the item Ranma caught I completely forgot what it was going to be. So any ideas would greatly help.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 (edited by Xtor49)

Thrawn watched inaudibly as the black helmet and mask settled over the face of Anakin Skywalker. The eerie sound of Darth Vader's breathing began in earnest; the platform Vader was lying on slowly began to rise. Vader's head began to stir. "Lord Vader?" Thrawn asked quietly.

Vader turned his heard toward the blue skinned alien. "Who are you? Where is Chancellor Palpatine?" the dark baritone voice asked.

"He has been dead for the past two and a half years, Lord Vader, as have you," Thrawn said in a quiet tone.

Vader rhythmic breathing did not change, but Thrawn could tell by his body language that Vader seemed rocked by this knowledge. "What do you mean?"

Thrawn began the extensive tale of the past twenty two years, and explained in detail the Galactic Civil War. When finished he watched as Vader pulled his arms from the restraints. "What of Padme Amadala, is she alive?" Vader asked, ripping the restraint buckles from his hands.

"As far as the records state my lord, she died on Mustafar, though the circumstances have been kept a secret," Thrawn declared, having no real knowledge of what occurred there. His only information was what the Emperor had put into the records, which wasn't very trustworthy. "Though the information could be highly tainted, considering that you have two children, my lord."

Vader crossed his arms, closing his eyes underneath the mask and stretching out with the Force. He was angered by what he felt. Dropping his arms, he spun on his heel, heading toward the exit. "We have much to do Admiral," Vader stated coldly.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma glanced down at the item in his hands. "This is a charm made out of Korri ore; it's only found on one planet," the pig-tailed Jedi knight looked up at Leia, Yoda, and Mirax.

Yoda nodded, "Vader, left it he did."

"Yeah, probably after he and his troops slaughtered the Gungans," Leia said. "What is Korri ore?"

Ranma frowned slightly, "After we got the Jedi archives up an running I did some readin' on the histories," rubbing his forehead. "Gave me a migraine, but there was a section I found was pretty cool ta read. The part with the Mandalorian Wars, Jedi Civil War, and the Silent Wars."

"What's so important about those wars?" Mirax asked.

"Not much important about it, 'cept the fact that Sith were running all over the galaxy at that time," Ranma stated with a shrug. "See Korri ore, comes from Korriban. Four thousand years ago, Korriban was the home of the Sith academy."

"Think Vader went to Korriban, do you?" Yoda suggested.

Ranma pursed his lips and smiled, "Thought might of crossed my mind. See I'm a major fan of the Jedi Knights of those four thousand years."

"Revan," Yoda stated sourly. "Surprised of this, I am not."

Leia frowned, "What's wrong with this Revan guy?"

"Tell ya more bout it later, you'll love the story," Ranma smile broadened and his cat-like eyes twinkled. "Think we should go to Korriban, maybe find out what Vader was doing there?"

Yoda rubbed his chin, "The Force led us to this planet; more to discover, we do."

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Talon Karrde stood in the observation deck as Mara finished getting her business arrangements in order. Apparently, whatever had occurred in the conference had dramatically changed his associate greatly, and her fledgling Force abilities had grown in a short span. He looked down at the datapad the Jedi Knight Akane Saotome had given him. The Jedi had given him the name of very good replacement for Mara, though she stated that the person was on a planet beyond the outer rim.

Mara finished closing out her business and turned to Talon, who looked a bit lost, "I'm sorry Talon, just something that I need to do."

"It's okay Mara, Mrs. Saotome gave me the name of a replacement. Though the idea of going to a planet beyond the Unknown Region to obtain said replacement could be tasking," Talon replied.

"Well, you don't have to go yourself, send Ghent or Issac to get this Nabiki Tendo," Mara suggested.

Talon nodded, "Yes, though for some reason the Jedi clearly expects me to go."

Mara gave a light smile, "Must be a Jedi thing, Talon. You do realize that Hyperspace technology has advance a great deal in the last twenty or so years. What took five years twenty years ago may only take maybe six or seven months now. I explained this to Jedi Saotome, and she seemed rather happy about it."

Talon nodded, "True. I'll see about obtaining a freighter and taking up Jedi Saotome's offer. I will miss you Mara. But I won't pretend to understand the Jedi Force bond you have with Master Skywalker."

Mara nodded, closing her eyes, feeling Luke speaking with his brother-in-law, feeling the Jedi Master in a state of annoyance along with some mild humor. "It's quite an experience," she said, simply zipping up her bag and tossing it over her shoulder. "Just because I'll be joining this new Jedi Order doesn't mean you can't see me around Karrde, remember that. If you ever need help please don't hesitate to call on me."

Talon nodded, "I'll be sure to do that."

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The shuttle ride back to the Star Destroyer was a quiet and tense experience for the shuttle crew, hearing the harsh rhythmic breathing that signified Darth Vader's presence among them. Admiral Thrawn sat in silence, watching Vader's mask, "You seem tense, my lord?"

During the walk from the cloning chambers to the shuttle, Vader had asked Thrawn to inform him of that had happened to the original Vader, after Mustafar. He was pleased to hear that his original self had obtained revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi. "Why is it that I feel Jedi? The only one that could have possibly survived the purge was killed by myself ten years ago."

"Apparently you were misled, my lord. Master Yoda had also survived somehow; your son brought him out of hiding shortly before the Battle of Endor. Roughly a year and a half ago another Jedi Master returned from a planet beyond the Unknown Regions, along with two other Jedi Knights he trained while in exile," Thrawn explained.

"Seems the Emperor highly underestimated the length at which the Jedi would take to hiding themselves, as did I," Vader's voice seemed distant. For a moment, he probed outwardly with the Force. He felt several well trained Jedi, two in one sector, and one on Coruscant that was very familiar. "So Master Windu survived his fall from the Emperor's private chambers, this is indeed unexpected," Vader continued his probing until he found two powerful Force sensitives on Naboo. He recognized one as Master Yoda, but the other. "Not possible," Vader growled softly. "Another as strong in the Force as I, impossible."

Thrawn raised his eyebrow slightly, his interest piqued. Very few in the Empire knew how strong Vader had been. Thrawn however made it his business to find out what he could about both his allies and enemies. Vader's strength in the Force had been known to him since the Outbound Flight project. There had not been anyone as strong in the Force before Vader for nearly four thousand years. The last ones to achieve such strength had been Revan and the Exile, both of which had mysteriously vanished. "What does this mean, my lord?" he asked, purely out of indulgence.

Vader simply raised his hand, Thrawn felt his throat constrict, "Do not patronize me, Admiral. I know of your tactics. I have known of them since the Outbound Flight Project." the Dark Lord of the Sith dropped his hand. Thrawn rubbed his throat lightly. The blue skinned man was impressed; very few could tell when he was being condescending towards someone, trying to play upon their ego. "Admiral. You will be in over all command of the fleet once we rejoin it."

"Yes, Lord Vader, I understand," Thrawn smiled.

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Ranma, Leia, Yoda, and Mirax continued their explorations of Naboo. During their exploration of the Gungan's sacred gardens, Ranma felt something dark and cold probe him briefly. Before he could get a feel for the evil thing, it vanished. With a light frown, he turned to look up at the sky.

"What's wrong?" Leia asked.

"Didn't you feel that just now?" Ranma queried, his frown becoming far more pronounced. "Felt like something cold and dark just now."

Yoda's own frown appeared on his face. He closed his eyes to check what Ranma felt. It had been faint, but he felt it, cold and familiar, but before he could latch onto the familiarity the feeling passed. "Something dark, I feel. Retreated quickly, it did."

Ranma nods, "Only time I felt something that dark was when I faced Darth Ravenous," he replied dropping down looking around. "You don't think Thrawn managed to dig up a Sith Lord from the Outer Rim, somehow?"

"Difficult to say. If so, grave danger, I sense," Yoda replied as Mirax finished her sweep.

"Well looks like we reached a dead end out here," Mirax replied, running her fingers through her hair. "Think we should head for Korriban?"

Yoda sighed heavily, "Yes, another direction, it may point us."

Ranma smiled brightly, "Cool, been wanting to look at one of the planets from the Old Republic."

Author's Note: After this, I would like to see if anyone could come up with a viable sequel for this. If anyone is interested, e-mail me.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Vader stood quietly, looking out over the core worlds, after spending what seemed like hours in the ship's information net. What happened after his original self was placed in the suit was cause for both anger and celebration for the Dark Lord. The Sith enjoyed a long twenty year rule of the galaxy, virtually unopposed. The Jedi purge had slowly but assuredly wiped the Jedi Knights from the face of the Galaxy. At least until two and a half years ago, when Jedi Master Yoda reemerged with his son Luke. Even though it didn't show, Vader frowned in irritation. His own son, taking up the title of a Jedi Knight, spitting in the face of his own flesh and blood.

Vader's anger grew, imagining how his original form extended his hand to his son, offering the galaxy for the boy only to be scoffed at. He inwardly seethed at the image it brought. _If the boy continues to walk the path of a Jedi, then I will show him no mercy._ But something else vaguely familiar crept into his mind, an image of a young woman that looked similar to Padmé. Vader knew instantly that this woman was his daughter, looking as beautiful and as strong as his wife.

Admiral Thrawn walked up behind the black figure; even without being attuned to the Force the admiral could feel the waves of rage flowing off of him. "Yes, Admiral?" the dark baritone voice inquired.

"Sorry to interrupt your meditation, my lord. But we would like you to observe some holo's our spies have brought back from Naboo," Thrawn replied.

Vader turned, his mask hiding the emotion in his face, "Show me."

Thrawn quietly tapped a datapad and watched the image focus on four beings standing in front of Padmé Amadala Skywalker's coffin. The first image was that of Yoda, but he ignored that image and the one of Mirax Horn. The next image was of Leia Organa Solo leaning over the coffin of her mother. Vader felt a twinge of sadness and guilt pass through him as he watched the image; he vaguely remembered using a Force choke on Padmé shortly before fighting an intense lightsaber battle with Obi-Wan.

The next image was that of a pig-tailed youth; even through the holo Vader could sense a being that was as strong as he in the Force. The Sith Lord frowned heavily, more so considering how the boy held himself. Unlike Anakin Skywalker, this young man did not hold the doubts, the shaken beliefs. Vader brought his index finger and thumb to the chin of his mask in thought. It would seem that he would need to convince this boy otherwise, "Are they still on Naboo?"

"No sir, they left Naboo, last known coordinates place them heading to Korriban of all places," Thrawn replied.

"Interesting," Vader mused aloud. "Prepare a shuttle; I'll be there to meet them," Vader stated, stalking off the bridge.

Mara sat quietly across from Akane Saotome, playing a game of bejark; she was currently losing. But it wasn't the game she was really interested in, "I never knew there were three Jedi classes."

Akane nodded, "They stopped using the Sentinel class about three thousand years ago, mainly because of the overwhelming number of dark Jedi that would come out of the group."

"So why were you classified a Jedi Sentinel?" Mara asked.

Akane blushed slightly, "Because of powers, same can be said for Corran, the two of us have primarily defensive Force powers. While Jedi knights like my husband, Luke, Master Windu, and Master Yoda have both. Being new like Leia, you haven't found what your good at yet."

Mara accepted that, "Well if the images I caught when Luke and I were bonding are any guess, I'd say I was on par with him in the Force."

"Could be," Akane smiled. "But you never know, that might have changed." As they continued their conversation, Han wandered in.

"Almost home," Han stated, pulling out a ration bar and biting into it. He glanced at Mara, "I can't believe one minute you're ready to tear Luke apart, the next you're giving him big sloppy kisses; what happened in that conference room?"

Mara thought a moment, images of the world she saw flashing in her eyes. "It wasn't a light decision. I felt Luke and I lived a whole another lifetime in a brief moment, almost like the Force wanted us to be together."

Han scratched his head in confusion, "Well, I gave up understanding it the moment Luke and Leia rescued me from Jabba."

"Can anyone tell me which way to Okayama?" a young man wearing a yellow shirt, green pants, and a bandana stood at the entrance to the quad laser turrets.

"What the- how in the hell!" Han gaped at the young man who turned and started toward to cargo hold. Before Han could catch up to the young man he was gone. "What just happened?"

Akane blinked then shrugged, "Don't know, but whoever he was, he was wearing a lightsaber and was asking for directions to a town on my home planet."

"How can someone get that lost?" Mara asked.

Akane frowned; during her Jedi training, she and Ranma had met the same boy asking for directions several times. "Your guess is as good as mine."

The _Pulsar Skate _came out of hyperspace above a gray looking planet. Almost immediately, Yoda and Ranma clutched their chests in agony. Leia and Mirax looked at them with great concern. Ranma was the first to recover; he never felt such concentrated feelings of anger and hatred before. It was as if the planet was floating in those dark feelings.

"Truly an evil place, this is," Yoda said weakly.

Ranma nodded, "I could go down by myself, master?"

Yoda looked at the two young women then at the young man, "Very well."

Ranma leapt from his seat and moved toward the top hatch, where his A-wing sat. Climbing up, he quickly got settled. A small smile grew upon his face; he couldn't wait to land on the planet's surface and walk the paths Jedi Knight Revan had walked. After the ship detached from the freighter, the pig-tailed Jedi knight activated the A-wing's engines and soared into the atmosphere. He flew in a tight bank until he spotted a series of pillars and huge statues. "Coming into a valley of statues and pillars, might be the Valley of the Dark Lords," Ranma stated over his comlink.

He maneuvered his ship in for a landing next to a cliff edge. Opening the canopy, he saw several ghostly images walking to and fro. Jumping down onto the sandy ground, he watched as a man dressed in dark brown robes, a red rusty colored droid that looked like his protocol droid, and a man with short black hair, as well as a mustache take up defensive positions behind the man as he battled a woman with short blonde hair. "I'm seeing another image, looks like Revan and two of his friends battling a woman in a strange gray uniform."

"True it must, it is the past you see," Yoda spoke over the comlink.

For once Ranma watched with great care as Revan battled the blonde woman. "Wow, the holo's on Revan don't do the man justice; he was probably better than me, you, and Master Windu combined," Ranma stated.

"Continue on," Yoda replied.

Ranma sighed, moving toward one the doorways, watching one of the images of Revan do the same. This one was being escorted by a dark purple skinned Twi'lek; the door way was opened. He walked quietly along the path, heading straight. As he walked, Ranma saw the skeletons of several huge creatures; the image of Revan cutting down Wraids appeared before his eyes. He came to a junction walkway that split off into three directions. He went straight ahead to find a solidified lake of acid. It was here he saw another lightsaber battle. It had been a quick duel; the purple skinned Twi'lek had been spared, while the tattooed man had been killed. "The images here are like outside, only Revan spared one. A purple skinned Twi'lek."

"You see Revan's battle with Uthar and Yuthera. Yuthera joined the Jedi Order, later," Leia stated no doubt looking at history records from the Jedi Temple.

"So Vader wasn't the first Dark Jedi to be redeemed then huh?" Ranma asked.

"Only a few have, among them were Revan and Bastilla Shan," Yoda stated calmly.

Ranma nods, leaving the tomb and returning to the Valley of the Dark Lords. He went along the outer part of the pillars, heading into the mountain pass that lead to the ruins of the Sith Academy. In the narrow pass, he steered clear of the dark cave he found, feeling so much dark energy coming from said cave. Passing along several turns, he came to the destroyed back gate of the ruined Academy. He lifted his hand and used the Force to move the debris blocking the entrance. "Man this place is really rundown," he muttered to himself as the door opened. Walking inside, the air smelt stale and mossy. More images of battles took place, this one of a man with blue black hair, and sharp brown eyes.

As he went deeper more images of fighting were seen. Once he reached the center chamber however the images began to fade. "Master Yoda, I keep seeing images of a man with a hair color similar to Akane's, fighting these strange looking Sith."

"The Exile, you see. Like Revan, the Exile visited the Jedi Academy five years after," Yoda exclaimed. "A dark time, that was, but not as great as the one that raged today, I think."

Ranma smirked slightly, "Not likely the Jedi Knights actually survived that fight, it was only through some quick thinking on your and Obi-Wan Kenobi's part that kept the Jedi from becoming completely extinct." He walked through the darkened central chamber, getting a feel for both Revan and the Exile.

He was about to walk toward one of the other chambers when he heard something, a sound of heavy rhythmic breathing. Ranma senses, both martial and Force driven, were sending his body information, "Master I'm not alone." A moment later a red white blade appeared in a darkened corner.

"You are correct, Jedi," a voice Yoda thought he'd never ever hear again.

"Not possible, is this," Yoda whispered.

Author's Note: Ah after a long dry spell Chapter 5 appears and with a cliffhanger. With editing done by Xtor


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